Method of cutting with a convertible chip knife



Nov. 30, 965

METHOD OF CUTTING WITH A CONVERTIBLE CHIP KNIFE Filed M 1963 J. J. MAQUEZ 2 Sheet heet 1 Justin J Marquez 1N VE NTOR' WW 35 2 mm? J- J.MARQUEZ 3,220,447

METHOD OF CUTTING WITH A CONVERTIBLE CHIP KNIFE Nov. 30, 1965 2Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed May 5, 1965 United States Patent 3,220,447 METHODOF CUTTING WITH A CONVERTIBLE CHIP KNIFE Justin J. Marquez, Crosby,Miss. (712 N. Haugh Ave., Picayune, Miss.) Filed May 3, 1963, Ser. No.277,959 1 Claim. (Cl. 144-309) The present invention generally relatesto a knife construction for use in a wood chipping machine and moreparticularly to a convertible chipping knife which may be used as acounter knife in the wood chipping machine after the knife has been wornbeyond use as a chipping knife thereby saving the normal cost of thecounter knife.

The present convertible chipping knife is particularly constructed foruse with a Hansel wood chip machine and includes novel structuralfeatures which enables the chip ping knife to be employed in the normalmanner as a chipping knife and after it has become worn beyond use as achipping knife, it then is converted into a counter knife whereby thenormal costs of counter knives will be eliminated thereby reducing theoverall cost of producing wood chips with the Hansel wood chip machine.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a method ofcutting with a convertible chipping knife which is modified as to itsstructure for receiving supporting fasteners or the like prior to itsbeing hardened thereby enabling the chipping knife to be converted touse as a counter knife after the chipping knife has been worn or useduntil it no longer is effective as a chipping knife.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a method ofcutting with a convertible chipping knife which is simple inconstruction, easy to use effective for its particular purposes andrelatively inexpensive to manufacture while at the same time saving thecost of the counter knives normally required during operation of thewood chipping machine.

These together with other objects and advantages which will becomesubsequently apparent reside in the details of construction andoperation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, referencebeing had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, whereinlike numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

FIGURE 1 is a fragmental sectional view of a Hansel wood chip machineillustrating the mounting of the chipping knife and counter knifetherein;

FIGURE 2 is a plan view of the chipping knife of the present invention;

FIGURE 3 is an edge view of the construction of FIG- UREZ;

FIGURE 4 is a detailed view of one end portion of the knife;

FIGURE 5 is a detailed sectional view taken substantially upon a planepassing along section line 55 of FIGURE 4 illustrating the countersunkaperture for receiving fastener screws;

FIGURE 6 is a fragmental plan view illustrating another form of theinvention;

FIGURE 7 is a detailed sectional view taken substantially upon a planepassing along section line 7--7 of FIGURE 6 illustrating furtherstructural details of this form of the invention.

Referring now specifically to the drawing-s, the numeral 10 generallydesignates the convertible chipping knife of the present invention whichis specifically adapted for use in combination with a Hansel wood chipmachine having portions thereof fragmentally illustrated in FIGURE 1 andgenerally designated by numeral 12. The chipping knife 10 of the presentinvention requires no modification whatsoever of the Hansel wood chipmachine 12 and only those details sufiicient to describe the functionand operation of the present invention, insofar as the wood chip machine12 is concerned, are illustrated in FIGURE 1.

The wood chipping machine 12 constructed by Hansel Engineering Companyincludes a chipping knife which may be the chipping knife 10 of thepresent invention but conventionally employs a conventional chippingknife. Overlying the chipping knife is a counter knife 14 which isassociated with the chipping knife 10 in a conventional manner in thatthe chipping knife 10 includes a beveled edge 16 in one direction whilethe counter knife 14 includes a beveled edge 18 extending in theopposite direction with the beveled edge 18 being disposed inwardly ofthe beveled edge 16. A retaining screw 20 is provided for the counterknife 14 and it will be appreciated that a plurality of such retainingscrews are provided along the length of the counter knife 14 and thecounter knife retaining screws 20 are threaded into a counter knifeholder 22 attached to the disk 24 by a suitable fastening bolt or bolts26. As will be understood, the rotatable disk 24 is provided with reliefopenings 28 for enabling discharge of the wood chips formed by thechipping knife 10. The chipping knife 10 is held in position by a knifeclamp 30 retained in position by a knife clamp bolt or stud 32 having aclamping nut 34 thereon. A locking screw 36 is provided for the clampingstud 32 whereby the knife clamp 30 is secured to the stud 32 and thestud 32 serves to retain the clamp 30 in clamping relation to thechipping knife 10 to. enable clamping adjustment thereof. The remainderof the structure is conventional and includes a bed knife assemblygenerally designated by numeral 38. However, insofar as the presentinvention is concerned, the structure of the chipping knife 10 andcounter knife 14 is significant.

The chipping knife 10 normally provided includes an elongated blade-likemember 40 having a plurality of generally U-shaped notches 42 in theedge thereof opposite to the beveled edge 16. Disposed in the side edgeof the blade or plate 40 is a plurality of sockets 44 which areinternally threaded. conventionally, the chipper knife is approximately4" wide when in its new condition and 18" long. The notches are 1%" inwidth and 1% in depth and are located on centers of 4 /8" and orientated2 ,4 inwardly from the end edges. The threaded sockets 44 are A" indiameter, A" in depth and orientated 3 /2" inwardly from each endthereof.

The counter knife 14 is, of course, also 18" in length and includes aplate or blade-like member that is 2%" in width and provided with fourholes extending therethrough on 4%" centers with the end holes beingdisposed 2 5 from the ends and /2 inwardly from the inner edge there of.The holes are in diameter and have a counterbore of /2" diameter and A"deep. These holes are designated by numeral 46 and the counterbore isdesignated by numeral 48. As described, the chipping knife and counterknife are supplied as two separate and individual components by theHansel Engineering Company and the present invention incorporates thefeatures of both the chipping knife and counter knife by providing thenotches 42, threaded sockets 44 and holes 46 in one composite structure.The holes are the same size but are orientated on 4 /2" centers with theend holes being located 4 /2" from the ends. The overall dimensions ofthe convertible chipping blade 10 remains the same as a conventionalchipping blade and the orientation of the notches 42 and threadedsockets 44 remain the same. In the convertible chipping knife 10, theholes 46 are orientated on 4 /2" centers with the end holes spaced 4 /2"from the ends of the knife 10 as compared with the conventionalorientation in which the holes in the counter knife are disposed 4 /6"on centers and orientated with the end holes 2 ,46 from the ends of theknife. Thus, the convertible chipping knife, having the same dimensionsas the chipping knife presently available is substituted therefor andthe counter knife is formed from the chipping knife after the chippingknife has become worn beyond use as a chipping knife wherein theconvertible chipping knife 10 is merely then inverted and the fasteningscrews inserted through the holes 46 which are counterbored from thebottom surface thereof as compared with the knife 10 when used as achipping knife. The orientation of the counterbore 48 is illustrated inFIGURE 5.

As illustrated in FIGURES 6 and 7, the convertible chipping knife 50 isprovided with notches 52 in the side edges thereof and also notches, 54in the rear edge orientated in the same manner as the holes 46 and beingcountersunk or counterbored as at 56 in the same manner for receivingthe fastening bolts for the counter knife. This enables the convertible.knife to be employed with different type knife holders and clamps forproperly orientating and securing the chipping knife in position.

The grooving or drilling as well as the slotting of the convertiblechipping knife is done in the process of manufacturing and prior totheir hardening by a heat treating process thereby enabling the chippingknife to be successfully altered after it has been Worn out so that itcan then be used as a counter knife. It is appreciated that a number ofthe chipper knives and counter knives are used in each machine andcurrently, the counter knives cost approximately $22.00 and by enablingthe chipping knives to be used as counter knives after they have beenworn out as chipping knives, it will be appreciated that this effects aconsiderable saving in the operation and maintenance of the woodchipping machine. Additionally, the steel used in the chipping knife isof a better grade than that normally used in the counter knife andactually the reused or convertible chipping knife will wear for a longerlength of time than the conventional counter knife. The knife holder forthe counter knife may have to be drilled by the machine owner to fit thepattern of the holes in the modified or convertible chipping knife orthere is also a possibility that special knife holders may be obtainedfrom the manufacturer thus requiring no alteration whatsoever of themachine.

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles ofthe invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes willreadily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired' to limitthe invention to the exact construction and operation shown anddescribed, and accordingly all suitable modifications and equivalentsmay be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention asclaimed.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

The method of providing a counter knife from a worn chipping knife usedin an assembly of chipping and counter knives having their bevelsextending in opposite directions, said method consisting of the steps ofproviding an elongated blade, forming first chipping knife retainingopenings in said blade, forming second counter knife retaining openingsin said blade separate from said first openings, sharpening one edge ofsaid blade, hardening the blade, mounting the blade by'use of said firstopenings and using the blade, with a counter knife, as a chipping knifeuntil worn beyond useful size as a chipping knife, sharpening the Wornblade, and, when said counter knife has worn beyond useful limits,inverting the blade, mounting the blade by use of said second openings,and using the blade as a counter knife.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,570,845 10/1951Ottersland 144-176 2,728,366 12/1955 Woodcll 144-229 2,796,094 6/1957Himmelheber et a1. 144-476 3,000,578 9/1961 Riches et al. 241923,030,987 4/1962 Jackson et a1. 144-176 ROBERT C. RIORDON, PrimaryExaminer.

WILLIAM W. DYER, LESTER M. SWINGLE,

Examiners.

